HOPE Vol. 5 No. 1 fall 2009

2 HOPE // FALL 2009
The Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
For information about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, contact Sister Barbara Doherty, coordinator of the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Providence Hall, 1 Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876-1007 or 812-535-2925 or bdoherty@spsmw.org.
Consider God’s Providence
“I love to consider the care of God’s Providence, which extends even to the little fishes.”
— Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, “Journals and Letters,” page 159
(Photo by Connie McCammon)www.SistersofProvidence.org 3
HOwithinPE
Features
Cover story 4
The new cosmology
Q & A: new cosmology 7
A Providence perspective
Annual dinner 12
Honoring our donors
SMTG Fest 2009 16
Come one, come all
Departments
Alumnae/i news 13
Photo album 14
Sustainable living 17
Partners in our mission 18
Newsnotes 20
My heart watches … 20
Obituaries 21
Upcoming events 21
Mission Statement:
The purpose of HOPE is to extend the energy and power
of Providence to our friends by sharing information about
the mission, spirituality and ministries of the Sisters of
Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
Volume 5 • No. 1
fall 2009
Executive Editor:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz
Editors:
Sister Ann Casper and
Diane Weidenbenner
Copy Editor:
Sister Cordelia Moran
Publication
Manager/Designer:
Connie McCammon
Cover Designer:
Pam Lynch
Cover Art:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz
Editorial Board:
Rosie Blankenship, Christina Blust,
Cheryl Casselman, Dave Cox,
Brother Barry Donaghue, cfc,
Michelle Fredeking, Sue Heck,
Becky Igo, Sister Jeanne Knoerle,
Sister Bernice Kuper,
Sandy Scroggins and
Sister Joan Zlogar
Contact Information:
Office of Congregational
Advancement,
1 Sisters of Providence,
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876
For change of address:
cdavis@spsmw.org or 812-535-2804
Web address:
www.SistersofProvidence.org
Printed on recycled paper
On the cover:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz created
“Beloved Trinity” at the request of
the late Sister Judith Shanahan. Sister
Judith described the image in this way:
“The Trinity revealed itself as three
embracing rose-colored centers of
feminine energy.” Her trinity included
Jesus, Mother Theodore and herself.
Page 14
Page 18
PPaaggee 1122
4 HOPE // FALL 2009TheCover storyannewcosmology:By Sister Jeanne Knoerleevolvinguniversewww.SistersofProvidence.org 5
Theologians through the centuries have tried to help us. We have grown up with the
images they suggested, loved them, depended on them. But are such images enough,
especially now when the work of quantum science is complicating (and complementing) the work of theologians? If these scientists are right — and more and more evidence says they are — their recent discoveries are forcing us to change our images of God. These discoveries indicate that 10 or 15 thousand years ago God did not simply visualize a world, bring it into being¸ then create us and put us in it. On the contrary, they suggest that about 13.7 billion years ago God created a “self-creating” universe and allowed it to evolve, using the materials provided at its powerful birth, a birth often referred to as the “flaring forth,” or the “big bang.” Many billions of years later, humanity has evolved as the one species able to reflect on itself — but also as the species most able to destroy the planet upon which it lives.
As Christians, our concept of God as self-giving love adds to this scientific account of the universe a very important and unique understanding: that God not only created everything in the universe and thus everything that has evolved in it — the rocks and stones and water and earth and bacteria and insects and animals and humans — but that God is and contin­ues
to be present in all of them.
That presence of God creates a unique responsibility for human beings. If we see the world as created for us by God, that belief allows us to use whatever exists in that world to fur­ther
the quality of human life, even when that sometimes results in degrading the quality of life of other parts of creation, animate or inanimate. On the other hand, if we see these created things as infused with the Creator’s continuing presence, our relationship to them changes and we begin to understand them as collaborators. We seek to join with them to further, in whatever ways we can, the ongoing evolution of everything in the universe.
How then does this newer understanding of the relationship between God and everything
in the universe — including but not limited to human beings — alter how we imagine God? Contemporary religious thinkers are wrestling with that question. The Jesuit Pierre Teil­hard
de Chardin was perhaps the earliest “contemporary” philosopher (he died in 1955) to see evolution as an essential element in our understanding of God. “If we are to remain faithful to the gospel,” he wrote, “we have to adjust its spiritual code to the new shape of the universe. It has ceased to be the formal garden from which we are temporarily ban­ished
by a whim of the creator. It has become the great work in process of completion which we have to save by saving ourselves.”1 For Teilhard de Chardin, as later for theolo­gian
Karl Rahner, SJ, the evolutionary change he saw occurring was the result of a power that comes from within the creature — and that pressure is the Divine acting from within.
H
ow do you picture God? Pray to God? Understand God? Most of us move from childhood to adulthood thinking about God in ways appro­priate
to our age; yet there is always a sense that we don’t quite know how to do it. God is totally unique and we are limited in our ability to grasp the idea of God.
Continued on page 66 HOPE // FALL 2009
Two monks, Trappist Thomas Merton and Bene­dictine
Bede Griffiths, believed, like Teilhard and Rahner, that Christianity is undergoing a process of detachment from its inherited Western forms with its Greek philosophical trappings and is moving to a greater integration with other cultures. Their vocations as contemplatives led them to see the importance of discovering the unconscious, intui­tive
dimensions of human life, and to suggest that Christians of all cultures must develop a balance between these dimensions if they were truly to know God.
Today we are also becoming more and more aware of the impact of technology on all of us. It is one more ele­ment,
and a very powerful one, in the evolution of the human person. Scientists tell us that biological evolution may be winding down but technological evolution has started to acceler­ate.
We see this every day as cell phones and computers and Facebook and Twitter reorganize the ways persons relate to and communicate with one another. And whether or not we per­sonally
make use of these new modes of communication, our lives are powerfully impacted by them.
Ray Kurzweil, one of the leading inventors of our time and a philosopher dedicated to thinking through such impacts on our future, says, “To think human beings are fine the way they are is a mis­placed
fond remembrance of what human beings used to be. What human beings are is a species that has undergone a cultural and technological evolution, and it’s the nature of evolution that it accelerates, and that its powers grow exponentially, and that’s what we’re talking about.”2
And Teilhard, although he died before the full onset of the technology we live with today, believed that Christ and Christianity were always alive in the ever-evolving world of the future. “Christ must be born again, he must be reincarnated in a world that has become too different from that in which he lived.”3
And this world is very different — not only from the world in which Jesus lived, but from the world in which most of us grew up. Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio, says of it: “We are confronted today by the survival of Christianity. Will it survive in the face of evolutionary shifts marked by a new global consciousness or is it a diminishing sect in an ever-expanding universe? Teilhard maintained that not only are we to survive but we are to flourish. We are to lead the evolutionary trend in a forward move­ment
into God. He urged Christians to … risk, get involved, to aim toward union with others, because the entire creation is waiting to give birth to God’s promise — the fullness of love. (Romans 8:19-20) We are not only to recognize evolution but make it continue in ourselves.”4
And to continue that evolu­tion
within ourselves calls us to examine our image of God, not in the light of what we believed to be true in the past, but in the light of new, unfolding knowledge about an evolving universe. If we understand that creation continues to evolve, our way of thinking about and relating to the Creator must continue to evolve also. That requires openness on our part — and the willingness to say yes to new ideas. In the light of the long and rich history of Christianity through the centuries that should not be something we are unable or unwilling to do.
Endnotes
1 Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, Pierre. “Christianity and Evolution,” New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, p. 91
2 “The Singularity: A Talk with Ray Kurzweil,” www.edge.org
3 Teilhard, Ibid, p. 94
4 Delio, OSF, Ilia. “Christ In Evolution,” New York:
Orbis Books, p. 147
Continued from page 5
… God not only created everything in the universe and thus everything that has evolved in it … but … God is and continues to be present in all
of them.
— SISTER JEANNE KNOERLE
“
”
H
Would you like to join a conversation on the new cosmology? Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for this link: “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.”www.SistersofProvidence.org 7The newcosmology:aProvidenceperspective
Editor’s note: In the previous article, “The new cosmology: an evolving universe,” Sister Jeanne Knoerle provides an overview of the new cosmology. In the following article, Sister Jeanne explores this subject more by asking two sister-theologians some probing questions. Responding to her questions are Sisters Jan Craven and Alexa Suelzer.
As you read these responses, the members of the HOPE editorial board ask you to remem­ber
that we all are on a journey to better know the mystery that is God. Indeed, Sister Jeanne reminds us “to examine our image of God, not in the light of what we believed to be true in the past, but in the light of new, unfolding knowledge about an evolving universe.”
In order to engage in a dialogue with our readers, the members of the HOPE edito­rial
board would like to hear from you. Please visit the Congregation’s Web site at www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for the link that says, “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.” We look foward to hearing from you.
Q and A
1.) As a theologian, tell us briefly how your perspectives on creation have shifted (if indeed they have) because of recent scientific discoveries.
Sister Jan Craven: I would have to say the scope of my perspective has widened and deep­ened
and has become more expansive. I grew up in an era where “recent scientific discov­eries”
were making headline news almost on a weekly basis. In other words, I have grown to expect them, welcome them and be surprised by them. For me, the so-called changes in the way we view creation is just another exciting adventure in the nature of our own jour­Continued
on page 88 HOPE // FALL 2009
neys. I know one thing about the recent thinking about creation: it makes sense to me in a way that I cannot explain.
Sister Alexa Suelzer: Well, indeed they have shift­ed,
but recent scientific discoveries don’t account entirely for the change. Even as a youngster I had a difficult time relating to the traditional estimate of 4,000 years since creation — despite scholarly attempts to employ symbolism or some other method of computation. Eventu­ally,
tentative theories of physical evolution held my attention and approval.
In college I took a course called cosmology; I shudder now to think of the simplistic presenta­tion
of its chapters. Still later, in biblical studies the auxiliary disciplines like history, biblical archaeology and anthropology confirmed my view of slow and lengthy stages of human and non-human development. But my introduction to the work of the late Thomas Berry, CP, and Brian Swimme (and others like them) with its amazing account of development over 13 billion years, convinced me that evolution is not a peripheral scientific issue. Rather it pro­vides
the matrix for all the other issues.
2.) How do you correlate these discoveries with your Christian belief in the role of God in creation?
Sister Jan: Christians have always had beliefs that have influenced their lives. We all need to become aware of the beliefs we hold, and to change and develop them as life experience and reflection lead us. All of us, in one sense, are theologians in that we have beliefs about God that affect our lives. But it is discovering and articulat­ing
the convictions that shape our lives. To be able to correlate or equate or connect these ever present discoveries with my Christian belief has never been an overwhelming task for me, which I attribute to my upbringing and the good teachers I had who encouraged me to look at things with “fresh-eyes.”
Continued from page 7
The great teachers I have had along the way led me to reverence critical thinking to such an extent as to always make room for future knowledge that might color my present findings — in all disciplines includ­ing
science and theology. I learned that from one of my mentors: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. God was the center of an evolving universe for him, and he never failed to combine his love of God with his love of Earth and the universe. I try to do the same.
Sister Alexa: Christian faith af­firms
that God is the origin of all that is. So whether I hold that the universe came from God’s immediate action or evolved over billions of years, God is still the source of all that is. In either case, “all his works are wonder­ful”
(Psalm 111:4). But immedi­ate
creation suggests God acting impersonally — once and from afar — whereas the notion of infinite power working through billions of years and continuing even today provides a more admirable instance of dynamic creative energy.
Further, because the new cosmology posits the divine in all of reality, theologians can more read­ily
correlate the Christian concept of a personal and loving God with the scientific understanding of the universe. St.
Augustine notes that “God is more intimate to us than we are to ourselves.” This penetration of the cosmos with the divine leads theologians to a reappraisal of the relation between God and the world and to re-examine the dualistic terms like nature-grace, natural-supernatural.
3.) Have you followed the ongoing conversation between the theologians and the scientists? If so, what are some of the questions/ideas/hopes that have arisen for you?
Sister Jan: Yes, I have followed the ongoing con­versation
between these two disciplines. As I walked into the study hall, my first day as a postulant, there on my desk was a copy of the Vatican II Documents and the Dutch Catechism. One of my science teach­Continued
on page 9
All of us, in one sense, are theologians in that we have beliefs about God that affect our lives.
— SISTER JAN CRAVEN
“
”
Christian faith
affirms that God is the origin of all that is.
— SISTER ALEXA SUELZER
“
”www.SistersofProvidence.org 9
Continued from page 8
ers from high school gifted me with three books that I still have in my possession and revisit quite often. Those three books really shaped my thirst and quest for learning: “The Divine Milieu” and “The Hymn of the Universe,” both by Teilhard de Chardin and “The Unexpected Universe” by Loren Eiseley.
In 1977 I studied spirituality and theology at Ford­ham
University and took as many courses as I could on Teilhard’s thinking from one of the professors who actually knew him. After visiting his grave in New York, I felt compelled to continue my interest and studies in the conversations happening between science and theology. Today, I realize that more scientists are becoming theologians because of their new findings and learnings as a result of the conver­sation
going on over the past several decades. It is my hope that more and more theologians become more interested in science.
As I studied at the Center for Process Studies in Claremont, Calif., during the 1990s, I became more enamored with God’s relationship with Earth and humanity. In process thinking, “the character of the world is influenced by God, but it is not de­termined
by God, and the world in its turn contrib­utes
novelty and richness to the divine experience.” (“The World and God” by John B. Cobb, Jr.) It is that last part of Cobb’s statement that intrigues me the most — that we have, can, and will continue to contribute to God’s experience.
Sister Alexa: I have not read many contemporary scientists directly, but I am familiar with their findings as I read of them in the work of current
Continued on page 10Meet Sister Jan
Birth: Jan. 25, 1950, in Youngstown, Ohio
Education: bachelor’s degree in elementary edu­cation
— Youngstown State University; master’s degree in theology — Fordham University, New York; master’s degree in philosophy of religion and theology — Claremont University, Claremont, Calif.
Entrance into the Congregation: entered the
Ursuline Sisters, Youngstown, in 1968 and trans­ferred
to the Sisters of Providence in 1978
Religion and spirituality have always been a part of Sister Jan Craven’s life. “I come from a very faith-filled religious family. When I entered reli­gious
life at the age of 18, I believe that many rich, educational opportunities were offered to me. As a young postulant and novice, taking Scripture cours­es
was the highlight of my novitiate experience,” said Sister Jan.
As an Ursuline sister, Sister Jan taught school and took as many theology classes as time would per­mit.
“I attribute my interest in the study of theolo­gy
and Scripture to good teachers, good workshops and good graduate schools. I had some of the best: Charlie Curran, Donald Goergen, OP; Ewert Cous­ins,
Bernard Haring, CSSR; Marjorie Suhocki, David Griffin and John Cobb Jr.,” continued Sister Jan.
As a Sister of Providence, Sister Jan continued her theological studies and ministered as a pastoral associate in several California parishes. In 2004, she was named the director of postulancy where she shares her passion with another generation of women.
“God is a topic I never tire thinking about, sharing about, praying to and delving into with great energy. After all, the whole purpose of religious life, according to Sandra Sch­neiders,
IHM, is the God quest. I think I have been on one for many years and will continue to be on this delightful quest until I am able to meet this beautiful God face to face,” said Sister Jan.
(Photo by Christina Blust)10 HOPE // FALL 2009
theologians. For me, a leading theological ques­tion
is the role of Christ in the light of our new consciousness. Early Christians were concerned to express Christ’s relation to the Trinity; in our own time we must discover the link between Christ and the universe. The old cosmology will not help us do this, marked as it is by the inability to relate nature to the supernatural. Doctrines of Christology such as incarnation, grace, freedom and the Mystical Body, have lost relevance today because the Christ they present appears distant from the world as we know it.
In evolutionary thought Christ is more intimately involved with all humans and with the movement of the universe into the future. Indeed the cosmos is centered in Christ and he is the goal toward which evolution is directed. I am intrigued by the way contemporary theologians are using evolutionary discoveries to show how Christ is indeed related to
Continued from page 9the whole cosmos and the whole cosmos finds its meaning in Christ.
4.) Are there particular theologians or philosophers you would recommend as good sources for further thinking about these issues?
Sister Jan: What I recommend is what has worked for me; so there is no guarantee anyone else will like what I suggest. Of course, Teilhard’s books and thinking are essential. Some current books that I have read are: “Called to Question” by Joan Chittis­ter,
OSB, “God’s Ecstasy” and “The Grand Option” by Beatrice Bruteau, “Christ in Evolution” by Ilia Delio, “Theology for Skeptics” by Dorothee Soelle, “Praying a New Story” by Michael Morwood, “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley, and “God’s Equa­tion,
Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Uni­verse”
by Amir D. Aczel. More recent ones are: “What Does God Look Like in an Expanding Uni­Meet
Sister Alexa
Birth: June 19, 1918, in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Education: bachelor’s degree in English — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College; master’s degree in English — Marquette University, Milwaukee;
doctorate in sacred doctrine — Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Entrance into the Congregation: Feb. 14, 1938
A teacher and a life-long learner, Sister Alexa Suelzer ministered 20 years as a theology profes­sor
at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. There she created the course, “God and the Human,” for the master of arts in pastoral theology degree (MAPT). She later developed the Scripture portions of the degree.
“The program was important to carry out the de­crees
and documents of Vatican II with its empha­sis
on laity. It’s still important,” said Sister Alexa.
The study of theology has been a personal quest of hers. “The aggiornamento [Italian for updat­ing]
of [the Second] Vatican [Council, 1962-1965] did much to loosen the strictures of the Tridentine Church — and my own participation in them,” said Sister Alexa.
Part of the responsibility of studying theology is keeping well versed on new interpretations. Although Sister Alexa received her doctorate in 1962, her theo­logical
views have not re­mained
stagnant.
“Presently I am very attracted to the spiritual aspects of ecol­ogy,
especially as these are pre­sented
with an emphasis on the concept of one­ness
in Eastern thought. Specifi­cally
I am attract­ed
to Christology — the develop­ment
of all cre­ation
— human and otherwise — in Christ,” she said.
Continued on page 11
(Photo by Christina Blust)www.SistersofProvidence.org 11
Items for sale include hats, scarves, socks, gloves, teddy bears, shawls, Christmas ornaments and yarn. Proceeds from the sale of these items help support the mission and programs of White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. See more photos and prices of items by clicking on Fiber at www.WhiteViolet.org. To place orders or for more information, call 812-535-2932 or e-mail jfuqua@spsmw.org.alpaca garments for saleBeautifulWhite Violet Center for Eco-Justicewww.WhiteViolet.org
verse?” by Jim Schenk, “Prayers to an Evolutionary God” by William Cleary and “Evolutionary Faith” by Diarmuid O’Murchu, MSC.
Sister Alexa: Of course the late Father Tom Berry’s work is essential for an understanding of the new cosmology. If a reader doesn’t know Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, his early work, “The Divine Milieu,” is a good intro­duction.
Also useful is Cletus Wessels’ “Jesus in the New Universe Story.” Theologians Karl Rahner and Bruno Barn­hart,
OSB, do not deal specifi­cally
with evolution, but their work can give insight into some characteristics of contemporary evolutionary discoveries. Rah­ner’s
view of evolution is basic to his transcendental method and is of particular importance in his view of God, Jesus and human freedom. Barnhart’s view of wisdom familiarizes the reader with non-Western modes of expression and illuminates some aspects of contemporary scientific research.
5.) Do you have other insights about these impor­tant
issues that you would like to share?
Sister Jan: I believe that all of these books that I have read and studied have led me to a deepened prayer life. To contemplate and meditate on my reading is prayerful for me. To join a book group to discuss the contents and ideas is very valuable. I do feel at home in this planetary house. As Bea­trice
Bruteau says in “God’s Ecstasy,” we should be rejoicing in the cosmos. “If you can see the God you love as present in, even as, this world, then feel that union and rejoice in that. And be active in it, contribute to it, participate in the building, in the artwork, in the healing, in the understanding. This is where Reality is. God’s ecstasy creates the world, and the world’s ecstasy realizes God. And you are right in the midst of it all.” Is there any better defi­nition
of a person of Providence?
Sister Alexa: To look at Christian faith in the light of new cosmology is not to abandon the past but to examine its riches in new light. A case in point is our relation to Christ. What does it mean in the light of our new consciousness? Seeing Christ as the center of an evolutionary universe brings a new understanding of Christ and of ourselves in relation to him. In the past, the human need for redemption guided the thought of classical theologians. They did not see the incarnation as essential to creation, but as a kind of accident necessitated by our human sin and weakness.
In contemporary thought God’s love is seen as the ultimate rea­son
for the incarnation and the incarnate Christ is the perfect response to God’s self-commu­nicating
love, the perfect real­ization
of what is potentially in human nature — union with the divine. Since we share Christ’s sonship, we also share his work of bringing about the transforma­tion
of the universe in love.
Discipleship involves more than the achievement of individual salvation; what took place in Christ must take place in us if creation is to move forward toward comple­tion.
Our participation is necessary to adjust to
the new shape of the world and a new religious consciousness.
Continued from page 10
To look at Christian faith in the light of new cosmology is not to abandon the past but to examine its riches in new light.
— SISTER ALEXA SUELZER
“
”
H12 HOPE // FALL 2009
Mother Theodore Guerin Dinner
Honoring our donors
The weather proved to be much kinder this year during the annual Mother Theodore Guerin Dinner June 6. Last year’s dinner was canceled due to flooding in the Wabash Valley. This year’s event honored not only the 2009 award recipients, but also the 2008 awardees. The din­ner
is a time for the Congregation to honor donors who have been generous with their time, talent and treasure.
Photo 1: General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson (right) presents Sondra and Richard Wellman of Indianapolis the 2008 Sarah and Joseph Thralls Award.
Photo 2: Jack Griffin of Potomac, Md., accepts the 2008 Rooted in Providence Award on behalf of the Griffin Foundation. Standing with him is his sister, Sister Mary Rita Griffin and Sister Denise Wilkinson (right).
Photo 3: Receiving the 2008 Queen Amelia Award are Marywood, Evanston, Ill., alumnae association members and the association’s coordinator. Pictured from left are Sister Susan Paweski, Judy Collins, Gaye Kenny, Marilyn Kirschten, Sue Ann Brander and General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson.
Photo 4: Julia and Frank Ladner of Lawrenceville, Ill., delight in receiving the 2009 Queen Amelia Award from Sister Denise Wilkinson (left).
Photo 5: Frank Bussing, a long-time volunteer of the Congregation who resides in West Terre Haute, Ind., stands with General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson after receiving the 2009 Sarah and Joseph Thralls Award.
Photo 6: The cast and producer of the stage play “Late Nite Cat­echism”
received the 2009 Rooted in Providence Award for the funds generated through collections received after each presentation of the play. Pictured from left are Sister Denise Wilkinson; Mary Zentmyer, who plays “sister” in the performance; Rosie Newton, who also plays the role of “sister;” and Vicki Quade, co-writer and producer. (Photos by Christina Blust)
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Lots of smiling faces
Just look at those smiling faces! Women who at­tended
the Juniorate, later renamed the Aspirancy, gathered on a lovely June day for a celebration of friendship. Sisters Ann Casper and Lucy Lechner coordinated the event. We are all grateful for their ef­forts
that made the reunion possible.
This unique high school was founded for girls who were considering religious life as a Sister of Providence. The school was opened in 1929 and remained a vital part of the Congregation’s membership ministry until 1966.
The smiling faces in the other photo belong to Marywood, Orange, Calif., alumnae (and moi!) who gathered for the initial meeting to plan an all-school reunion. Plans are moving forward for the two-day gathering which will begin with a special visit from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin on Friday evening and the reunion luncheon on Saturday at noon. Details will follow.
May we continue to rec­ognize
the blessings of our Provident God in our daily lives!
Sister Sue Paweski
773-463-2478 & spaweski@spsmw.org
Alumnae/i
SAVE THESE DATES: Chicago-area Mardi Gras Fundraiser, Feb. 13, 2010, AND Marywood, Orange, Calif., all-school reunion, Oct. 1-2, 2010. See more reunion dates on pages 21 and 22.
(Photo by Connie McCammon)14 HOPE // FALL 2009
Photo album
Welcome, PVMs!
The Sisters of Providence welcome four new year-long Providence Volunteer Ministers (PVMs) this fall. They join Alice Liu and Kaitlyn Ramsey who are beginning their second year. Kate Sullivan, pictured above at right with PVM Direc­tor
Julie Szolek-Van Valkenburgh, began at Saint Ann Clinic in Terre Haute, Ind., in July. Nancy Morales and Arrianne Whittaker began their service at Saint Ann Clinic in August. Jessie Light began giving service at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., in August. Learn more about these young women at www.P-V-M.org. (Photo by Cheryl Casselman)
June 27 was a beautiful, but hot, summer day to celebrate silver and golden jubilees during a Eucharistic Liturgy in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Gathering for a photo prior to Mass are the eight jubilarians (two silver) and the Gen­eral
Officers (front row, left to right): Sisters Paula Modaff, Clelia Cecchetti, General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson and Sister Brigid Mary Hurley; (second row): Sisters Ellen Cunningham, Dorothy Rasche, Therese Guerin Sullivan, General Officers Sister Paula Damiano and Sister Marie McCarthy; (third row): General Officer Sister Nancy Reynolds, Sisters Catherine White (silver), Carolyn Bouchard (silver) and General Officer Sister Marsha Speth; (top row): General Officer Sister Jane Marie Oster­holt.
(Photo by Pam Lynch)
Congratulations, jubilarians!www.SistersofProvidence.org 15
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue dedicated
People of all ages gather on the south side of the Church of the Immaculate Conception on June 28 to dedicate the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue graciously donated by the late Larry Fleschner. The blessing ceremony, which took place before the Eucharistic Liturgy, was attended by sisters, family and friends of the Congregation and members of Larry’s family. Pictured above, far right, Sister Jeremy Gallet sprinkles the bronze statue with holy water as Sister Ann Casper holds a bowl of holy water and, left, a family prepares to bless Saint Mother Theodore. (Photo by Connie McCammon)
A day of family fun
The second annual Family Day at the Woods on June 14 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods welcomed approximately 500 people from neighboring communities. Kate Sulli­van,
Providence Volunteer Minister, (seated, foreground) explains the Duck Pond rules to an attentive boy and his parents. Sister Marie McCarthy, general officer, (seated toward the back) tells him about the prizes available, depending on the duck he chooses. Besides games for all ages, Family Day included choir, hand bell and storytell­ing
performances in the Church of the Immaculate Con­ception,
hay rides, free popcorn, hot dogs and donated Pepsi products. The All Saints Kazoo Band Parade, Eco-Obstacle Course and Puppet Show were new activities that attracted the young and young at heart. The event was co-sponsored by the Sisters of Providence and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. (Photo by Diane Weidenbenner)16 HOPE // FALL 2009
Fest 2009
C
ome one, come all to Fest 2009
Pilgrims from junior high to retirement ages and from all faith traditions are invited to the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest 2009 Oct. 23 to 25 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. The theme for the weekend is “Live with purpose — ener­gize
your faith!” and the time will include quiet reflection, multiple types of prayer, spiritual presentations,
worship, music and great companionship.
There will also be opportuni­ties
to get to know Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, a courageous and prayerful woman and the eighth saint who worked and lived in the United States.
Questions? Contact Sister Barbara Doherty, coordina­tor
of the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, at bdoherty@spsmw.org or 812-535-2925. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information or to download the brochure and registration form.
We want to hear from you!
This issue of HOPE has been dedicated to the discussion of the new cosmology. We want to hear your thoughts. Visit www.SistersofProvi­dence
and look for the link that says, “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.”www.SistersofProvidence.org 17
Ways to help
“... the Human and the Natural World will go into the future as a single sacred community, or we will both perish on the way. ... “ — Thomas Berry
The Rev. Thomas Berry, a Catholic priest of the Passionists order, died on June 1. He was a leading cultural historian, social critic and environmental thinker.
His major contributions to the discussion on the environment are in his books “The Dream of the Earth (Sierra Club Books, 1988, reprinted 2006), “The Great Work: Our Way into the Future” (Random House, 1999) and, with Brian Swimme, “The Universe Story” (Harper San Francisco, 1992). His latest collection of essays is “Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community” (Sierra Club Books and University of California Press, 2006).
As a tribute to this wonderful man, may we be energized by his words and deeds to form this single sacred community.
Read about the Eucharist Celebration and Burial of Thomas Berry, cp, at Green Mountain Monastery in Greensboro, Vt., on June 8 at www.WhiteViolet.org.
An invitation to partner with us for Fest 2009
This issue of HOPE explores the way people re­late
to God and how we individually respond to the spiritual hunger and longing that we all experience. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin left a strong legacy in this regard as she encouraged people to seek God above all else and to remain open to God’s action in their lives: “You will see many things in new lights if you give the Holy Spirit free access to your minds and hearts.”
To further this legacy the Sisters of Providence in cooperation with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will host the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest Oct. 23-25, 2009. (See information on page 16).
If you would like to partner with the Sisters of Providence in offsetting the expenses of offering this spiritual opportunity, please use the enclosed response envelope. Just mark the envelope “fest” to designate your gift. Plan to join us and energize your faith!
You’ve read about them in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and in some of our brochures. You undoubtedly are already familiar with the
essentials of charitable gift annuities: you transfer assets (usually cash or publicly traded securities) to a charity.
One or two beneficiaries receive income for life, the amount depending on the beneficiaries’ ages at the time the annuity is established. A portion of each in­come
payment is usually tax-free. You receive a chari­table
deduction that can reduce your current taxes.
There are potential gifts- and estate-tax savings. You make a valuable charitable gift of whatever remains after the payment obligation is satisfied. What you may not realize is that a gift annuity has multiple uses and that you may fund it with a variety of assets.
Please check www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information. Look for the “As seen in HOPE” link.
The secret benefits of the gift annuity18 HOPE // FALL 2009
Partners in our mission
JustBy Connie McCammon
Continued on page 19
family
like
If you’d ask Joanna Hosteny of Chicago why she supports the Sisters of Providence, her answer would likely be because they are like family.
Yes, her aunt, the late Sister Irma Clare Irwin, was a Sister of Providence for 77 years.
Yes, Joanna was taught by the sisters at St. Leo Grade School, Chicago.
So she financially supports the Congregation to honor the women religious who shaped her life as a young girl and to assist those Sisters of Providence who are today serving in vari­ous
ministries throughout the country.
Growing up in Chicago, Joanna remembers the role the sisters played in the lives of her, her brother and her parents. “They were very important to me growing up. They did so much good for so many people. They gave of themselves for very little in return besides spiritual gain,” said Joanna, a 1958 graduate of Visitation High School, Chicago.
“I can remember when we were young, my aunt couldn’t come to our house. We had Photo at left: Joanna Hosteny poses for a
photograph with her Lightning P-38 recumbent bike. (Submitted photo)www.SistersofProvidence.org 19
Continued from page 18
H
www.smwc.eduWOODS ONLINESaint Mary-of-the-Woods College1-800-499-0373• An interactiveonline degree program• Accelerated 8 week courses• Earn your degree in 4 years• Earn Credit for Life Experiences• Financial Aid AvailableIntroducing ...Go to College ... Without Going to Class!
to go see her [at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]. It was so much fun when she finally got to come [to our home]. And, of course, when she got to come and stay with us, that was super!” continued Joanna.
Living near the parish school, Joanna had a unique relationship with the sisters. Every once in a while in the summer Joanna and her friends would see a couple of Sisters of Providence taking a stroll down the sidewalk. “We kids were so thrilled! We never got to see the nuns outside of school. Then at Halloween we would go and trick-or-treat at the convent. That was another big event that we would remember,” said Joanna, who has included the Congregation in her will.
That special relationship was not limited to out­side
the classroom. Inside school, Joanna had great respect for the sisters who taught her, especially her eighth-grade teacher, the late Sister Marie Emman­uel
Haugh. “She was a love. She was a real dear. I enjoyed her so much. The thing I appreciated most about her is she gave us algebra in eighth grade so when I went off to ninth grade I was all set. Algebra didn’t scare the daylights out of me!” said Joanna, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in his­tory
from Loyola University in Chicago.
That drive for excellence as an educator obviously touched Joanna’s life. She spent 12 years teach­ing
high school history in the Chicago area as well as one year in England. She then served 18 years as a counselor at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, a college prep school in Chicago.
Now retired, Joanna is similar to a Sister of Provi­dence
— she keeps active. She loves to bike and throughout the years has tallied many miles through­out
the United States and Europe. Today she rides a Lightning P-38 recumbent bike. In addition, Joanna is a bird watcher. This hobby has led her to a couple of interesting activities. For two years, she volun­teered
with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and picked up injured birds in the Chicago Loop. She currently volunteers at The Field Museum in Chicago where she gives tours in the Bird Hall and works numbering bird bones in the science area for the Division of Birds.
Always a teacher, Joanna also teaches calligraphy at Moraine Valley Junior College, Palos Hills, Ill. This art she learned from her seventh-grade teacher, the late Sister Bernardo Tumidalsky. “We had calligra­phy
for art class. I think there was only one other person in the class that enjoyed it. All the boys grumbled. But we used the dip pen and the Speedball ink, and I really loved it. Then in the middle ’80s I started doing more. I used to do charts for the attorneys, particularly in the federal courts. Most of my work [today] is addressing envelopes for weddings. That’s fine for me,” said Joanna.
Just like a family, the Sisters of Providence played an important role in Joanna Hosteny’s life, long after her days at St. Leo Grade School. And like family, Joanna continues to care about the sisters by her financial commitment to the Congregation.
[The sisters] were very important to me growing up. They did so much good for so many people. They gave of themselves for very little in return be­sides
spiritual gain.
— JOANNA HOSTENY
“
”20 HOPE // FALL 2009
Newsnotes
Web site gets ‘extreme makeover’
The Sisters of Providence took hammers, nails, spackle and paint to their Web site and ended up with an “extreme makeover” version that launched this summer.
If you haven’t seen the new site, visit it at www.SistersofProvidence.org. Click on “More SP sites” in the upper right corner to see all 14 sites by the Sisters of Providence. Even if you think you know the SPs, you will learn something new when you see this site network!
E-mail webmaster@spsmw.org if you have questions, suggestions or other comments about the SP sites.
Newspaper features ministry
Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, president and CEO of Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries Inc., was featured in a spring 2009 issue of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., in an article titled “Moral compass directs S. Indiana development.” The article was referring to Guerin Woods and The Meadows of Guerin Inc., developments for senior citizens, and Providence House for Children, all lo­cated
in Georgetown, Ind.
Reporter Dale Moss wrote about Sister Barbara Ann: “‘Imagine the elite of banking, of Wall Street, with Zeller’s moral compass and humility. They would lead us not into the ditch.’”
Dale continued his article with an interview with Bob Lane, executive director of the New Albany, Ind., Housing Authority. Bob said about Sister Bar­bara
Ann: “‘She has a unique ability — she takes the social side and the business side and brings them together.’”
The article ended with a quote from Sister Barbara Ann: “‘I don’t see myself as a planner or a vision­ary
— I don’t ascribe them to myself. … If there’s a need and I can assuage that need, I will try to do that.’”
Sister Marie Kevin honored
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International named Sister Marie Kevin Tighe a Paul Harris Fellow at the Rotary Club of Terre Haute’s annual awards luncheon June 30. The award was presented in recognition of her living the Rotary motto, “Ser­vice
Above Self.” The citation read, “… in appreci­ation
of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.”
The presenter noted that Sister Marie Kevin’s work culminating in the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin not only made Mother Theodore known, but also made Terre Haute famous world-wide. Besides the citation, Sister Marie Kevin received a Paul Harris medallion and a clock. Also, a $1,000 donation was made to the Rotary Interna­tional
Foundation in her name to further its chari­table
works in various countries.
The recognition is named for the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris, who began the organiza­tion
in Chicago in 1905.
Since Saint Mother Theodore’s canonization Oct. 15, 2006, a steady stream of favors attributed to her intercession have been sent to the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
George Macey’s life was touched by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin when she was still called Blessed by the Roman Catholic Church. George, of Marshall, Ill., was living near where a soon-to-be-a-saint had actually lived and was facing serious money problems. Once, during his evening work shift, he went home for a “lunch break” at 9 p.m. Upon his return to work and in the locker room on one of the benches was a Mother Theodore prayer card. He has prayed the prayer now every day — even praying it by heart. George’s situation is better, and he has offered his services at the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Shrine if ever needed. www.SistersofProvidence.org 21
Obituaries
I
n memory
“I sleep, but my heart watches … ” — Song of Songs
Sister Donna O’Neill (formerly Sister Laurence Therese) May 11-1930-April 22, 2009
“Sister Donna was a cut above most; her generosity would be hard to match.”
Entering the Congregation July 22, 1948, Sister Donna ministered in education for more than four decades. She taught or served as assistant principal in schools in Indiana, Il­linois,
Texas and North Carolina. From 1994 to 2001 Sister Donna served as the adminis­trator
of Providence Hall on the motherhouse grounds. She retired in 2002 and volunteered in various areas at the Woods.
Sister Wendy Workman Dec. 11, 1950-June 6, 2009
“Sister Wendy loved sports and the out-of-doors, and that love brought a freshness and an openness to her life as a novice and to all of us associated with her at the Woods.”
Sister Wendy entered the Congregation Aug. 23, 1975. She ministered as a physical education and religion teacher in schools in Oklahoma City and Chicago. She also taught physical education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
In the spring of 1987, Sister Wendy was severely injured in a bicycling accident that im­paired
her for the rest of her life. With faith, courage and determination, she faced each day with all of its challenges and limitations.
To read the entire obituary for a sister, please visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for “As seen in HOPE” link.
Upcoming events
September
15 Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Event, Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Ind., 5:30-9 p.m. (EDT). The Congregation will have a booth and table at the dinner.
18 7th annual Hole-y-One Golf Scramble, Hulman Links Golf Course, Terre Haute, Ind. Contact Diane Weidenbenner for team registration or sponsorships at 812-535-2802 or dweidenb@spsmw.org.
Continued on page 2222 HOPE // FALL 2009
20 St. John School reunion, Indianapolis. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
26 Come and See Day, Chicago, for women ages 18-42, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (CDT). Contact Sister Jenny Howard at 812-535-2897 or jhoward@spsmw.org.
26 Ladywood School reunion, Indianapolis. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
October
3 St. Rose Academy reunion, Vincennes, Ind. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for information.
3 Marywood School, Evanston, Ill., reunion. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for information.
10 Immaculata Preparatory School reunion, Washington, D.C. Visit www.SistersofProvi­dence.
org for more information.
16-17 Catholic Festival of Faith, Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. Vocations will have two booths at this event.
23-25 Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest 2009, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The theme of the fest, hosted by the Congregation in cooperation with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Col­lege,
is “Live with purpose — energize your faith!” The fest is a weekend for junior high to retirement pilgrims of all faith traditions. Contact Sister Barbara Doherty at 812-535-2925 or bdoherty@spsmw.org.
24 Fall Nature Walk, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (EDT), White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Free-will donation. Contact Candace Minster at 812-535-2935 or cminster@spsmw.org.
31 ACE 101: Developing Alpaca Breeding Strategies through Herd Assessment and Performance Records, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EDT). Taught by Brett Kaysen, Ph.D., of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., and David Barboza, AOBA & IAJS Certified judge. Cost $175/$140 for second person from the same farm. Contact Tracy Wilson at 812-535-2934 or twilson@spsmw.org.
31 Providence High School reunion, Chicago. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
November
6-8 Call to Action Conference, Milwaukee. Visit our booths
7 Providence Associates Commitment Ceremony, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 1:30 p.m. (EST) Eucharistic Liturgy.
13-15 Alpaca Fiber Workshop (for those with some experience), Friday 7 p.m. to Sunday 11 a.m. (EST), White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Spinning alpaca (Suri and Huacaya); Felting with Sherry Konya (Father Christmas figures and fun needle felting activities, limit 12). Cost: $150. Contact Sister Jean Fuqua at 812-535-2932 or jfuqua@spsmw.org.
19-21 National Catholic Youth Conference, Kansas City, Mo. The Congregation will have two booths at this event.
21-22 School of the Americas/WHINSEC Watch, Fort Benning, Ga. Visit our table.
Continued from page 21www.SistersofProvidence.org 23
Historical marker honors foundress
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was honored April 29 with an historical marker from the Indiana Historical Bureau. The public dedication of the sign was attended by several visitors and area media. The sign is located near Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on Grotto Lane on the motherhouse grounds. Above, General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson stands in front of the historical marker and answers questions from the media. To read the entire marker and see more photos, visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and click on “As seen in HOPE” link. (Photo by Christina Blust)Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Indianapolis
Indiana
Permit No. 593
Office of Congregational Advancement
1 Sisters of Providence
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
“How do you picture God? Pray to God? Understand God? Most of us move from childhood to adulthood thinking about God in ways appropriate to our age, yet there is always a sense that we don’t quite know how to do it. God is totally unique and we are limited in our ability to grasp the idea of God.“
— quote by Sister Jeanne Knoerle
This issue of HOPE takes you on a journey to a new understanding of the mystery that is God. The new cosmology does “not abandon the past but … examine[s] its riches in new light.”
— quote by Sister Alexa Suelzer

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

2 HOPE // FALL 2009
The Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
For information about Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, contact Sister Barbara Doherty, coordinator of the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Providence Hall, 1 Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876-1007 or 812-535-2925 or bdoherty@spsmw.org.
Consider God’s Providence
“I love to consider the care of God’s Providence, which extends even to the little fishes.”
— Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, “Journals and Letters,” page 159
(Photo by Connie McCammon)www.SistersofProvidence.org 3
HOwithinPE
Features
Cover story 4
The new cosmology
Q & A: new cosmology 7
A Providence perspective
Annual dinner 12
Honoring our donors
SMTG Fest 2009 16
Come one, come all
Departments
Alumnae/i news 13
Photo album 14
Sustainable living 17
Partners in our mission 18
Newsnotes 20
My heart watches … 20
Obituaries 21
Upcoming events 21
Mission Statement:
The purpose of HOPE is to extend the energy and power
of Providence to our friends by sharing information about
the mission, spirituality and ministries of the Sisters of
Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
Volume 5 • No. 1
fall 2009
Executive Editor:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz
Editors:
Sister Ann Casper and
Diane Weidenbenner
Copy Editor:
Sister Cordelia Moran
Publication
Manager/Designer:
Connie McCammon
Cover Designer:
Pam Lynch
Cover Art:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz
Editorial Board:
Rosie Blankenship, Christina Blust,
Cheryl Casselman, Dave Cox,
Brother Barry Donaghue, cfc,
Michelle Fredeking, Sue Heck,
Becky Igo, Sister Jeanne Knoerle,
Sister Bernice Kuper,
Sandy Scroggins and
Sister Joan Zlogar
Contact Information:
Office of Congregational
Advancement,
1 Sisters of Providence,
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876
For change of address:
cdavis@spsmw.org or 812-535-2804
Web address:
www.SistersofProvidence.org
Printed on recycled paper
On the cover:
Sister Rosemary Schmalz created
“Beloved Trinity” at the request of
the late Sister Judith Shanahan. Sister
Judith described the image in this way:
“The Trinity revealed itself as three
embracing rose-colored centers of
feminine energy.” Her trinity included
Jesus, Mother Theodore and herself.
Page 14
Page 18
PPaaggee 1122
4 HOPE // FALL 2009TheCover storyannewcosmology:By Sister Jeanne Knoerleevolvinguniversewww.SistersofProvidence.org 5
Theologians through the centuries have tried to help us. We have grown up with the
images they suggested, loved them, depended on them. But are such images enough,
especially now when the work of quantum science is complicating (and complementing) the work of theologians? If these scientists are right — and more and more evidence says they are — their recent discoveries are forcing us to change our images of God. These discoveries indicate that 10 or 15 thousand years ago God did not simply visualize a world, bring it into being¸ then create us and put us in it. On the contrary, they suggest that about 13.7 billion years ago God created a “self-creating” universe and allowed it to evolve, using the materials provided at its powerful birth, a birth often referred to as the “flaring forth,” or the “big bang.” Many billions of years later, humanity has evolved as the one species able to reflect on itself — but also as the species most able to destroy the planet upon which it lives.
As Christians, our concept of God as self-giving love adds to this scientific account of the universe a very important and unique understanding: that God not only created everything in the universe and thus everything that has evolved in it — the rocks and stones and water and earth and bacteria and insects and animals and humans — but that God is and contin­ues
to be present in all of them.
That presence of God creates a unique responsibility for human beings. If we see the world as created for us by God, that belief allows us to use whatever exists in that world to fur­ther
the quality of human life, even when that sometimes results in degrading the quality of life of other parts of creation, animate or inanimate. On the other hand, if we see these created things as infused with the Creator’s continuing presence, our relationship to them changes and we begin to understand them as collaborators. We seek to join with them to further, in whatever ways we can, the ongoing evolution of everything in the universe.
How then does this newer understanding of the relationship between God and everything
in the universe — including but not limited to human beings — alter how we imagine God? Contemporary religious thinkers are wrestling with that question. The Jesuit Pierre Teil­hard
de Chardin was perhaps the earliest “contemporary” philosopher (he died in 1955) to see evolution as an essential element in our understanding of God. “If we are to remain faithful to the gospel,” he wrote, “we have to adjust its spiritual code to the new shape of the universe. It has ceased to be the formal garden from which we are temporarily ban­ished
by a whim of the creator. It has become the great work in process of completion which we have to save by saving ourselves.”1 For Teilhard de Chardin, as later for theolo­gian
Karl Rahner, SJ, the evolutionary change he saw occurring was the result of a power that comes from within the creature — and that pressure is the Divine acting from within.
H
ow do you picture God? Pray to God? Understand God? Most of us move from childhood to adulthood thinking about God in ways appro­priate
to our age; yet there is always a sense that we don’t quite know how to do it. God is totally unique and we are limited in our ability to grasp the idea of God.
Continued on page 66 HOPE // FALL 2009
Two monks, Trappist Thomas Merton and Bene­dictine
Bede Griffiths, believed, like Teilhard and Rahner, that Christianity is undergoing a process of detachment from its inherited Western forms with its Greek philosophical trappings and is moving to a greater integration with other cultures. Their vocations as contemplatives led them to see the importance of discovering the unconscious, intui­tive
dimensions of human life, and to suggest that Christians of all cultures must develop a balance between these dimensions if they were truly to know God.
Today we are also becoming more and more aware of the impact of technology on all of us. It is one more ele­ment,
and a very powerful one, in the evolution of the human person. Scientists tell us that biological evolution may be winding down but technological evolution has started to acceler­ate.
We see this every day as cell phones and computers and Facebook and Twitter reorganize the ways persons relate to and communicate with one another. And whether or not we per­sonally
make use of these new modes of communication, our lives are powerfully impacted by them.
Ray Kurzweil, one of the leading inventors of our time and a philosopher dedicated to thinking through such impacts on our future, says, “To think human beings are fine the way they are is a mis­placed
fond remembrance of what human beings used to be. What human beings are is a species that has undergone a cultural and technological evolution, and it’s the nature of evolution that it accelerates, and that its powers grow exponentially, and that’s what we’re talking about.”2
And Teilhard, although he died before the full onset of the technology we live with today, believed that Christ and Christianity were always alive in the ever-evolving world of the future. “Christ must be born again, he must be reincarnated in a world that has become too different from that in which he lived.”3
And this world is very different — not only from the world in which Jesus lived, but from the world in which most of us grew up. Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio, says of it: “We are confronted today by the survival of Christianity. Will it survive in the face of evolutionary shifts marked by a new global consciousness or is it a diminishing sect in an ever-expanding universe? Teilhard maintained that not only are we to survive but we are to flourish. We are to lead the evolutionary trend in a forward move­ment
into God. He urged Christians to … risk, get involved, to aim toward union with others, because the entire creation is waiting to give birth to God’s promise — the fullness of love. (Romans 8:19-20) We are not only to recognize evolution but make it continue in ourselves.”4
And to continue that evolu­tion
within ourselves calls us to examine our image of God, not in the light of what we believed to be true in the past, but in the light of new, unfolding knowledge about an evolving universe. If we understand that creation continues to evolve, our way of thinking about and relating to the Creator must continue to evolve also. That requires openness on our part — and the willingness to say yes to new ideas. In the light of the long and rich history of Christianity through the centuries that should not be something we are unable or unwilling to do.
Endnotes
1 Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, Pierre. “Christianity and Evolution,” New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, p. 91
2 “The Singularity: A Talk with Ray Kurzweil,” www.edge.org
3 Teilhard, Ibid, p. 94
4 Delio, OSF, Ilia. “Christ In Evolution,” New York:
Orbis Books, p. 147
Continued from page 5
… God not only created everything in the universe and thus everything that has evolved in it … but … God is and continues to be present in all
of them.
— SISTER JEANNE KNOERLE
“
”
H
Would you like to join a conversation on the new cosmology? Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for this link: “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.”www.SistersofProvidence.org 7The newcosmology:aProvidenceperspective
Editor’s note: In the previous article, “The new cosmology: an evolving universe,” Sister Jeanne Knoerle provides an overview of the new cosmology. In the following article, Sister Jeanne explores this subject more by asking two sister-theologians some probing questions. Responding to her questions are Sisters Jan Craven and Alexa Suelzer.
As you read these responses, the members of the HOPE editorial board ask you to remem­ber
that we all are on a journey to better know the mystery that is God. Indeed, Sister Jeanne reminds us “to examine our image of God, not in the light of what we believed to be true in the past, but in the light of new, unfolding knowledge about an evolving universe.”
In order to engage in a dialogue with our readers, the members of the HOPE edito­rial
board would like to hear from you. Please visit the Congregation’s Web site at www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for the link that says, “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.” We look foward to hearing from you.
Q and A
1.) As a theologian, tell us briefly how your perspectives on creation have shifted (if indeed they have) because of recent scientific discoveries.
Sister Jan Craven: I would have to say the scope of my perspective has widened and deep­ened
and has become more expansive. I grew up in an era where “recent scientific discov­eries”
were making headline news almost on a weekly basis. In other words, I have grown to expect them, welcome them and be surprised by them. For me, the so-called changes in the way we view creation is just another exciting adventure in the nature of our own jour­Continued
on page 88 HOPE // FALL 2009
neys. I know one thing about the recent thinking about creation: it makes sense to me in a way that I cannot explain.
Sister Alexa Suelzer: Well, indeed they have shift­ed,
but recent scientific discoveries don’t account entirely for the change. Even as a youngster I had a difficult time relating to the traditional estimate of 4,000 years since creation — despite scholarly attempts to employ symbolism or some other method of computation. Eventu­ally,
tentative theories of physical evolution held my attention and approval.
In college I took a course called cosmology; I shudder now to think of the simplistic presenta­tion
of its chapters. Still later, in biblical studies the auxiliary disciplines like history, biblical archaeology and anthropology confirmed my view of slow and lengthy stages of human and non-human development. But my introduction to the work of the late Thomas Berry, CP, and Brian Swimme (and others like them) with its amazing account of development over 13 billion years, convinced me that evolution is not a peripheral scientific issue. Rather it pro­vides
the matrix for all the other issues.
2.) How do you correlate these discoveries with your Christian belief in the role of God in creation?
Sister Jan: Christians have always had beliefs that have influenced their lives. We all need to become aware of the beliefs we hold, and to change and develop them as life experience and reflection lead us. All of us, in one sense, are theologians in that we have beliefs about God that affect our lives. But it is discovering and articulat­ing
the convictions that shape our lives. To be able to correlate or equate or connect these ever present discoveries with my Christian belief has never been an overwhelming task for me, which I attribute to my upbringing and the good teachers I had who encouraged me to look at things with “fresh-eyes.”
Continued from page 7
The great teachers I have had along the way led me to reverence critical thinking to such an extent as to always make room for future knowledge that might color my present findings — in all disciplines includ­ing
science and theology. I learned that from one of my mentors: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. God was the center of an evolving universe for him, and he never failed to combine his love of God with his love of Earth and the universe. I try to do the same.
Sister Alexa: Christian faith af­firms
that God is the origin of all that is. So whether I hold that the universe came from God’s immediate action or evolved over billions of years, God is still the source of all that is. In either case, “all his works are wonder­ful”
(Psalm 111:4). But immedi­ate
creation suggests God acting impersonally — once and from afar — whereas the notion of infinite power working through billions of years and continuing even today provides a more admirable instance of dynamic creative energy.
Further, because the new cosmology posits the divine in all of reality, theologians can more read­ily
correlate the Christian concept of a personal and loving God with the scientific understanding of the universe. St.
Augustine notes that “God is more intimate to us than we are to ourselves.” This penetration of the cosmos with the divine leads theologians to a reappraisal of the relation between God and the world and to re-examine the dualistic terms like nature-grace, natural-supernatural.
3.) Have you followed the ongoing conversation between the theologians and the scientists? If so, what are some of the questions/ideas/hopes that have arisen for you?
Sister Jan: Yes, I have followed the ongoing con­versation
between these two disciplines. As I walked into the study hall, my first day as a postulant, there on my desk was a copy of the Vatican II Documents and the Dutch Catechism. One of my science teach­Continued
on page 9
All of us, in one sense, are theologians in that we have beliefs about God that affect our lives.
— SISTER JAN CRAVEN
“
”
Christian faith
affirms that God is the origin of all that is.
— SISTER ALEXA SUELZER
“
”www.SistersofProvidence.org 9
Continued from page 8
ers from high school gifted me with three books that I still have in my possession and revisit quite often. Those three books really shaped my thirst and quest for learning: “The Divine Milieu” and “The Hymn of the Universe,” both by Teilhard de Chardin and “The Unexpected Universe” by Loren Eiseley.
In 1977 I studied spirituality and theology at Ford­ham
University and took as many courses as I could on Teilhard’s thinking from one of the professors who actually knew him. After visiting his grave in New York, I felt compelled to continue my interest and studies in the conversations happening between science and theology. Today, I realize that more scientists are becoming theologians because of their new findings and learnings as a result of the conver­sation
going on over the past several decades. It is my hope that more and more theologians become more interested in science.
As I studied at the Center for Process Studies in Claremont, Calif., during the 1990s, I became more enamored with God’s relationship with Earth and humanity. In process thinking, “the character of the world is influenced by God, but it is not de­termined
by God, and the world in its turn contrib­utes
novelty and richness to the divine experience.” (“The World and God” by John B. Cobb, Jr.) It is that last part of Cobb’s statement that intrigues me the most — that we have, can, and will continue to contribute to God’s experience.
Sister Alexa: I have not read many contemporary scientists directly, but I am familiar with their findings as I read of them in the work of current
Continued on page 10Meet Sister Jan
Birth: Jan. 25, 1950, in Youngstown, Ohio
Education: bachelor’s degree in elementary edu­cation
— Youngstown State University; master’s degree in theology — Fordham University, New York; master’s degree in philosophy of religion and theology — Claremont University, Claremont, Calif.
Entrance into the Congregation: entered the
Ursuline Sisters, Youngstown, in 1968 and trans­ferred
to the Sisters of Providence in 1978
Religion and spirituality have always been a part of Sister Jan Craven’s life. “I come from a very faith-filled religious family. When I entered reli­gious
life at the age of 18, I believe that many rich, educational opportunities were offered to me. As a young postulant and novice, taking Scripture cours­es
was the highlight of my novitiate experience,” said Sister Jan.
As an Ursuline sister, Sister Jan taught school and took as many theology classes as time would per­mit.
“I attribute my interest in the study of theolo­gy
and Scripture to good teachers, good workshops and good graduate schools. I had some of the best: Charlie Curran, Donald Goergen, OP; Ewert Cous­ins,
Bernard Haring, CSSR; Marjorie Suhocki, David Griffin and John Cobb Jr.,” continued Sister Jan.
As a Sister of Providence, Sister Jan continued her theological studies and ministered as a pastoral associate in several California parishes. In 2004, she was named the director of postulancy where she shares her passion with another generation of women.
“God is a topic I never tire thinking about, sharing about, praying to and delving into with great energy. After all, the whole purpose of religious life, according to Sandra Sch­neiders,
IHM, is the God quest. I think I have been on one for many years and will continue to be on this delightful quest until I am able to meet this beautiful God face to face,” said Sister Jan.
(Photo by Christina Blust)10 HOPE // FALL 2009
theologians. For me, a leading theological ques­tion
is the role of Christ in the light of our new consciousness. Early Christians were concerned to express Christ’s relation to the Trinity; in our own time we must discover the link between Christ and the universe. The old cosmology will not help us do this, marked as it is by the inability to relate nature to the supernatural. Doctrines of Christology such as incarnation, grace, freedom and the Mystical Body, have lost relevance today because the Christ they present appears distant from the world as we know it.
In evolutionary thought Christ is more intimately involved with all humans and with the movement of the universe into the future. Indeed the cosmos is centered in Christ and he is the goal toward which evolution is directed. I am intrigued by the way contemporary theologians are using evolutionary discoveries to show how Christ is indeed related to
Continued from page 9the whole cosmos and the whole cosmos finds its meaning in Christ.
4.) Are there particular theologians or philosophers you would recommend as good sources for further thinking about these issues?
Sister Jan: What I recommend is what has worked for me; so there is no guarantee anyone else will like what I suggest. Of course, Teilhard’s books and thinking are essential. Some current books that I have read are: “Called to Question” by Joan Chittis­ter,
OSB, “God’s Ecstasy” and “The Grand Option” by Beatrice Bruteau, “Christ in Evolution” by Ilia Delio, “Theology for Skeptics” by Dorothee Soelle, “Praying a New Story” by Michael Morwood, “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eiseley, and “God’s Equa­tion,
Einstein, Relativity, and the Expanding Uni­verse”
by Amir D. Aczel. More recent ones are: “What Does God Look Like in an Expanding Uni­Meet
Sister Alexa
Birth: June 19, 1918, in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Education: bachelor’s degree in English — Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College; master’s degree in English — Marquette University, Milwaukee;
doctorate in sacred doctrine — Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.
Entrance into the Congregation: Feb. 14, 1938
A teacher and a life-long learner, Sister Alexa Suelzer ministered 20 years as a theology profes­sor
at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. There she created the course, “God and the Human,” for the master of arts in pastoral theology degree (MAPT). She later developed the Scripture portions of the degree.
“The program was important to carry out the de­crees
and documents of Vatican II with its empha­sis
on laity. It’s still important,” said Sister Alexa.
The study of theology has been a personal quest of hers. “The aggiornamento [Italian for updat­ing]
of [the Second] Vatican [Council, 1962-1965] did much to loosen the strictures of the Tridentine Church — and my own participation in them,” said Sister Alexa.
Part of the responsibility of studying theology is keeping well versed on new interpretations. Although Sister Alexa received her doctorate in 1962, her theo­logical
views have not re­mained
stagnant.
“Presently I am very attracted to the spiritual aspects of ecol­ogy,
especially as these are pre­sented
with an emphasis on the concept of one­ness
in Eastern thought. Specifi­cally
I am attract­ed
to Christology — the develop­ment
of all cre­ation
— human and otherwise — in Christ,” she said.
Continued on page 11
(Photo by Christina Blust)www.SistersofProvidence.org 11
Items for sale include hats, scarves, socks, gloves, teddy bears, shawls, Christmas ornaments and yarn. Proceeds from the sale of these items help support the mission and programs of White Violet Center for Eco-Justice. See more photos and prices of items by clicking on Fiber at www.WhiteViolet.org. To place orders or for more information, call 812-535-2932 or e-mail jfuqua@spsmw.org.alpaca garments for saleBeautifulWhite Violet Center for Eco-Justicewww.WhiteViolet.org
verse?” by Jim Schenk, “Prayers to an Evolutionary God” by William Cleary and “Evolutionary Faith” by Diarmuid O’Murchu, MSC.
Sister Alexa: Of course the late Father Tom Berry’s work is essential for an understanding of the new cosmology. If a reader doesn’t know Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, his early work, “The Divine Milieu,” is a good intro­duction.
Also useful is Cletus Wessels’ “Jesus in the New Universe Story.” Theologians Karl Rahner and Bruno Barn­hart,
OSB, do not deal specifi­cally
with evolution, but their work can give insight into some characteristics of contemporary evolutionary discoveries. Rah­ner’s
view of evolution is basic to his transcendental method and is of particular importance in his view of God, Jesus and human freedom. Barnhart’s view of wisdom familiarizes the reader with non-Western modes of expression and illuminates some aspects of contemporary scientific research.
5.) Do you have other insights about these impor­tant
issues that you would like to share?
Sister Jan: I believe that all of these books that I have read and studied have led me to a deepened prayer life. To contemplate and meditate on my reading is prayerful for me. To join a book group to discuss the contents and ideas is very valuable. I do feel at home in this planetary house. As Bea­trice
Bruteau says in “God’s Ecstasy,” we should be rejoicing in the cosmos. “If you can see the God you love as present in, even as, this world, then feel that union and rejoice in that. And be active in it, contribute to it, participate in the building, in the artwork, in the healing, in the understanding. This is where Reality is. God’s ecstasy creates the world, and the world’s ecstasy realizes God. And you are right in the midst of it all.” Is there any better defi­nition
of a person of Providence?
Sister Alexa: To look at Christian faith in the light of new cosmology is not to abandon the past but to examine its riches in new light. A case in point is our relation to Christ. What does it mean in the light of our new consciousness? Seeing Christ as the center of an evolutionary universe brings a new understanding of Christ and of ourselves in relation to him. In the past, the human need for redemption guided the thought of classical theologians. They did not see the incarnation as essential to creation, but as a kind of accident necessitated by our human sin and weakness.
In contemporary thought God’s love is seen as the ultimate rea­son
for the incarnation and the incarnate Christ is the perfect response to God’s self-commu­nicating
love, the perfect real­ization
of what is potentially in human nature — union with the divine. Since we share Christ’s sonship, we also share his work of bringing about the transforma­tion
of the universe in love.
Discipleship involves more than the achievement of individual salvation; what took place in Christ must take place in us if creation is to move forward toward comple­tion.
Our participation is necessary to adjust to
the new shape of the world and a new religious consciousness.
Continued from page 10
To look at Christian faith in the light of new cosmology is not to abandon the past but to examine its riches in new light.
— SISTER ALEXA SUELZER
“
”
H12 HOPE // FALL 2009
Mother Theodore Guerin Dinner
Honoring our donors
The weather proved to be much kinder this year during the annual Mother Theodore Guerin Dinner June 6. Last year’s dinner was canceled due to flooding in the Wabash Valley. This year’s event honored not only the 2009 award recipients, but also the 2008 awardees. The din­ner
is a time for the Congregation to honor donors who have been generous with their time, talent and treasure.
Photo 1: General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson (right) presents Sondra and Richard Wellman of Indianapolis the 2008 Sarah and Joseph Thralls Award.
Photo 2: Jack Griffin of Potomac, Md., accepts the 2008 Rooted in Providence Award on behalf of the Griffin Foundation. Standing with him is his sister, Sister Mary Rita Griffin and Sister Denise Wilkinson (right).
Photo 3: Receiving the 2008 Queen Amelia Award are Marywood, Evanston, Ill., alumnae association members and the association’s coordinator. Pictured from left are Sister Susan Paweski, Judy Collins, Gaye Kenny, Marilyn Kirschten, Sue Ann Brander and General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson.
Photo 4: Julia and Frank Ladner of Lawrenceville, Ill., delight in receiving the 2009 Queen Amelia Award from Sister Denise Wilkinson (left).
Photo 5: Frank Bussing, a long-time volunteer of the Congregation who resides in West Terre Haute, Ind., stands with General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson after receiving the 2009 Sarah and Joseph Thralls Award.
Photo 6: The cast and producer of the stage play “Late Nite Cat­echism”
received the 2009 Rooted in Providence Award for the funds generated through collections received after each presentation of the play. Pictured from left are Sister Denise Wilkinson; Mary Zentmyer, who plays “sister” in the performance; Rosie Newton, who also plays the role of “sister;” and Vicki Quade, co-writer and producer. (Photos by Christina Blust)
1
2
3
4
5
6www.SistersofProvidence.org 13
Lots of smiling faces
Just look at those smiling faces! Women who at­tended
the Juniorate, later renamed the Aspirancy, gathered on a lovely June day for a celebration of friendship. Sisters Ann Casper and Lucy Lechner coordinated the event. We are all grateful for their ef­forts
that made the reunion possible.
This unique high school was founded for girls who were considering religious life as a Sister of Providence. The school was opened in 1929 and remained a vital part of the Congregation’s membership ministry until 1966.
The smiling faces in the other photo belong to Marywood, Orange, Calif., alumnae (and moi!) who gathered for the initial meeting to plan an all-school reunion. Plans are moving forward for the two-day gathering which will begin with a special visit from Saint Mother Theodore Guerin on Friday evening and the reunion luncheon on Saturday at noon. Details will follow.
May we continue to rec­ognize
the blessings of our Provident God in our daily lives!
Sister Sue Paweski
773-463-2478 & spaweski@spsmw.org
Alumnae/i
SAVE THESE DATES: Chicago-area Mardi Gras Fundraiser, Feb. 13, 2010, AND Marywood, Orange, Calif., all-school reunion, Oct. 1-2, 2010. See more reunion dates on pages 21 and 22.
(Photo by Connie McCammon)14 HOPE // FALL 2009
Photo album
Welcome, PVMs!
The Sisters of Providence welcome four new year-long Providence Volunteer Ministers (PVMs) this fall. They join Alice Liu and Kaitlyn Ramsey who are beginning their second year. Kate Sullivan, pictured above at right with PVM Direc­tor
Julie Szolek-Van Valkenburgh, began at Saint Ann Clinic in Terre Haute, Ind., in July. Nancy Morales and Arrianne Whittaker began their service at Saint Ann Clinic in August. Jessie Light began giving service at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., in August. Learn more about these young women at www.P-V-M.org. (Photo by Cheryl Casselman)
June 27 was a beautiful, but hot, summer day to celebrate silver and golden jubilees during a Eucharistic Liturgy in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Gathering for a photo prior to Mass are the eight jubilarians (two silver) and the Gen­eral
Officers (front row, left to right): Sisters Paula Modaff, Clelia Cecchetti, General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson and Sister Brigid Mary Hurley; (second row): Sisters Ellen Cunningham, Dorothy Rasche, Therese Guerin Sullivan, General Officers Sister Paula Damiano and Sister Marie McCarthy; (third row): General Officer Sister Nancy Reynolds, Sisters Catherine White (silver), Carolyn Bouchard (silver) and General Officer Sister Marsha Speth; (top row): General Officer Sister Jane Marie Oster­holt.
(Photo by Pam Lynch)
Congratulations, jubilarians!www.SistersofProvidence.org 15
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue dedicated
People of all ages gather on the south side of the Church of the Immaculate Conception on June 28 to dedicate the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin statue graciously donated by the late Larry Fleschner. The blessing ceremony, which took place before the Eucharistic Liturgy, was attended by sisters, family and friends of the Congregation and members of Larry’s family. Pictured above, far right, Sister Jeremy Gallet sprinkles the bronze statue with holy water as Sister Ann Casper holds a bowl of holy water and, left, a family prepares to bless Saint Mother Theodore. (Photo by Connie McCammon)
A day of family fun
The second annual Family Day at the Woods on June 14 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods welcomed approximately 500 people from neighboring communities. Kate Sulli­van,
Providence Volunteer Minister, (seated, foreground) explains the Duck Pond rules to an attentive boy and his parents. Sister Marie McCarthy, general officer, (seated toward the back) tells him about the prizes available, depending on the duck he chooses. Besides games for all ages, Family Day included choir, hand bell and storytell­ing
performances in the Church of the Immaculate Con­ception,
hay rides, free popcorn, hot dogs and donated Pepsi products. The All Saints Kazoo Band Parade, Eco-Obstacle Course and Puppet Show were new activities that attracted the young and young at heart. The event was co-sponsored by the Sisters of Providence and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. (Photo by Diane Weidenbenner)16 HOPE // FALL 2009
Fest 2009
C
ome one, come all to Fest 2009
Pilgrims from junior high to retirement ages and from all faith traditions are invited to the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest 2009 Oct. 23 to 25 at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind. The theme for the weekend is “Live with purpose — ener­gize
your faith!” and the time will include quiet reflection, multiple types of prayer, spiritual presentations,
worship, music and great companionship.
There will also be opportuni­ties
to get to know Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, a courageous and prayerful woman and the eighth saint who worked and lived in the United States.
Questions? Contact Sister Barbara Doherty, coordina­tor
of the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, at bdoherty@spsmw.org or 812-535-2925. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information or to download the brochure and registration form.
We want to hear from you!
This issue of HOPE has been dedicated to the discussion of the new cosmology. We want to hear your thoughts. Visit www.SistersofProvi­dence
and look for the link that says, “How does Christ fit into the new cosmology? Share your thoughts.”www.SistersofProvidence.org 17
Ways to help
“... the Human and the Natural World will go into the future as a single sacred community, or we will both perish on the way. ... “ — Thomas Berry
The Rev. Thomas Berry, a Catholic priest of the Passionists order, died on June 1. He was a leading cultural historian, social critic and environmental thinker.
His major contributions to the discussion on the environment are in his books “The Dream of the Earth (Sierra Club Books, 1988, reprinted 2006), “The Great Work: Our Way into the Future” (Random House, 1999) and, with Brian Swimme, “The Universe Story” (Harper San Francisco, 1992). His latest collection of essays is “Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community” (Sierra Club Books and University of California Press, 2006).
As a tribute to this wonderful man, may we be energized by his words and deeds to form this single sacred community.
Read about the Eucharist Celebration and Burial of Thomas Berry, cp, at Green Mountain Monastery in Greensboro, Vt., on June 8 at www.WhiteViolet.org.
An invitation to partner with us for Fest 2009
This issue of HOPE explores the way people re­late
to God and how we individually respond to the spiritual hunger and longing that we all experience. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin left a strong legacy in this regard as she encouraged people to seek God above all else and to remain open to God’s action in their lives: “You will see many things in new lights if you give the Holy Spirit free access to your minds and hearts.”
To further this legacy the Sisters of Providence in cooperation with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will host the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest Oct. 23-25, 2009. (See information on page 16).
If you would like to partner with the Sisters of Providence in offsetting the expenses of offering this spiritual opportunity, please use the enclosed response envelope. Just mark the envelope “fest” to designate your gift. Plan to join us and energize your faith!
You’ve read about them in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and in some of our brochures. You undoubtedly are already familiar with the
essentials of charitable gift annuities: you transfer assets (usually cash or publicly traded securities) to a charity.
One or two beneficiaries receive income for life, the amount depending on the beneficiaries’ ages at the time the annuity is established. A portion of each in­come
payment is usually tax-free. You receive a chari­table
deduction that can reduce your current taxes.
There are potential gifts- and estate-tax savings. You make a valuable charitable gift of whatever remains after the payment obligation is satisfied. What you may not realize is that a gift annuity has multiple uses and that you may fund it with a variety of assets.
Please check www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information. Look for the “As seen in HOPE” link.
The secret benefits of the gift annuity18 HOPE // FALL 2009
Partners in our mission
JustBy Connie McCammon
Continued on page 19
family
like
If you’d ask Joanna Hosteny of Chicago why she supports the Sisters of Providence, her answer would likely be because they are like family.
Yes, her aunt, the late Sister Irma Clare Irwin, was a Sister of Providence for 77 years.
Yes, Joanna was taught by the sisters at St. Leo Grade School, Chicago.
So she financially supports the Congregation to honor the women religious who shaped her life as a young girl and to assist those Sisters of Providence who are today serving in vari­ous
ministries throughout the country.
Growing up in Chicago, Joanna remembers the role the sisters played in the lives of her, her brother and her parents. “They were very important to me growing up. They did so much good for so many people. They gave of themselves for very little in return besides spiritual gain,” said Joanna, a 1958 graduate of Visitation High School, Chicago.
“I can remember when we were young, my aunt couldn’t come to our house. We had Photo at left: Joanna Hosteny poses for a
photograph with her Lightning P-38 recumbent bike. (Submitted photo)www.SistersofProvidence.org 19
Continued from page 18
H
www.smwc.eduWOODS ONLINESaint Mary-of-the-Woods College1-800-499-0373• An interactiveonline degree program• Accelerated 8 week courses• Earn your degree in 4 years• Earn Credit for Life Experiences• Financial Aid AvailableIntroducing ...Go to College ... Without Going to Class!
to go see her [at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]. It was so much fun when she finally got to come [to our home]. And, of course, when she got to come and stay with us, that was super!” continued Joanna.
Living near the parish school, Joanna had a unique relationship with the sisters. Every once in a while in the summer Joanna and her friends would see a couple of Sisters of Providence taking a stroll down the sidewalk. “We kids were so thrilled! We never got to see the nuns outside of school. Then at Halloween we would go and trick-or-treat at the convent. That was another big event that we would remember,” said Joanna, who has included the Congregation in her will.
That special relationship was not limited to out­side
the classroom. Inside school, Joanna had great respect for the sisters who taught her, especially her eighth-grade teacher, the late Sister Marie Emman­uel
Haugh. “She was a love. She was a real dear. I enjoyed her so much. The thing I appreciated most about her is she gave us algebra in eighth grade so when I went off to ninth grade I was all set. Algebra didn’t scare the daylights out of me!” said Joanna, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in his­tory
from Loyola University in Chicago.
That drive for excellence as an educator obviously touched Joanna’s life. She spent 12 years teach­ing
high school history in the Chicago area as well as one year in England. She then served 18 years as a counselor at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, a college prep school in Chicago.
Now retired, Joanna is similar to a Sister of Provi­dence
— she keeps active. She loves to bike and throughout the years has tallied many miles through­out
the United States and Europe. Today she rides a Lightning P-38 recumbent bike. In addition, Joanna is a bird watcher. This hobby has led her to a couple of interesting activities. For two years, she volun­teered
with the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and picked up injured birds in the Chicago Loop. She currently volunteers at The Field Museum in Chicago where she gives tours in the Bird Hall and works numbering bird bones in the science area for the Division of Birds.
Always a teacher, Joanna also teaches calligraphy at Moraine Valley Junior College, Palos Hills, Ill. This art she learned from her seventh-grade teacher, the late Sister Bernardo Tumidalsky. “We had calligra­phy
for art class. I think there was only one other person in the class that enjoyed it. All the boys grumbled. But we used the dip pen and the Speedball ink, and I really loved it. Then in the middle ’80s I started doing more. I used to do charts for the attorneys, particularly in the federal courts. Most of my work [today] is addressing envelopes for weddings. That’s fine for me,” said Joanna.
Just like a family, the Sisters of Providence played an important role in Joanna Hosteny’s life, long after her days at St. Leo Grade School. And like family, Joanna continues to care about the sisters by her financial commitment to the Congregation.
[The sisters] were very important to me growing up. They did so much good for so many people. They gave of themselves for very little in return be­sides
spiritual gain.
— JOANNA HOSTENY
“
”20 HOPE // FALL 2009
Newsnotes
Web site gets ‘extreme makeover’
The Sisters of Providence took hammers, nails, spackle and paint to their Web site and ended up with an “extreme makeover” version that launched this summer.
If you haven’t seen the new site, visit it at www.SistersofProvidence.org. Click on “More SP sites” in the upper right corner to see all 14 sites by the Sisters of Providence. Even if you think you know the SPs, you will learn something new when you see this site network!
E-mail webmaster@spsmw.org if you have questions, suggestions or other comments about the SP sites.
Newspaper features ministry
Sister Barbara Ann Zeller, president and CEO of Providence Self Sufficiency Ministries Inc., was featured in a spring 2009 issue of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky., in an article titled “Moral compass directs S. Indiana development.” The article was referring to Guerin Woods and The Meadows of Guerin Inc., developments for senior citizens, and Providence House for Children, all lo­cated
in Georgetown, Ind.
Reporter Dale Moss wrote about Sister Barbara Ann: “‘Imagine the elite of banking, of Wall Street, with Zeller’s moral compass and humility. They would lead us not into the ditch.’”
Dale continued his article with an interview with Bob Lane, executive director of the New Albany, Ind., Housing Authority. Bob said about Sister Bar­bara
Ann: “‘She has a unique ability — she takes the social side and the business side and brings them together.’”
The article ended with a quote from Sister Barbara Ann: “‘I don’t see myself as a planner or a vision­ary
— I don’t ascribe them to myself. … If there’s a need and I can assuage that need, I will try to do that.’”
Sister Marie Kevin honored
The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International named Sister Marie Kevin Tighe a Paul Harris Fellow at the Rotary Club of Terre Haute’s annual awards luncheon June 30. The award was presented in recognition of her living the Rotary motto, “Ser­vice
Above Self.” The citation read, “… in appreci­ation
of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.”
The presenter noted that Sister Marie Kevin’s work culminating in the canonization of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin not only made Mother Theodore known, but also made Terre Haute famous world-wide. Besides the citation, Sister Marie Kevin received a Paul Harris medallion and a clock. Also, a $1,000 donation was made to the Rotary Interna­tional
Foundation in her name to further its chari­table
works in various countries.
The recognition is named for the founder of Rotary International, Paul Harris, who began the organiza­tion
in Chicago in 1905.
Since Saint Mother Theodore’s canonization Oct. 15, 2006, a steady stream of favors attributed to her intercession have been sent to the Office of the Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
George Macey’s life was touched by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin when she was still called Blessed by the Roman Catholic Church. George, of Marshall, Ill., was living near where a soon-to-be-a-saint had actually lived and was facing serious money problems. Once, during his evening work shift, he went home for a “lunch break” at 9 p.m. Upon his return to work and in the locker room on one of the benches was a Mother Theodore prayer card. He has prayed the prayer now every day — even praying it by heart. George’s situation is better, and he has offered his services at the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Shrine if ever needed. www.SistersofProvidence.org 21
Obituaries
I
n memory
“I sleep, but my heart watches … ” — Song of Songs
Sister Donna O’Neill (formerly Sister Laurence Therese) May 11-1930-April 22, 2009
“Sister Donna was a cut above most; her generosity would be hard to match.”
Entering the Congregation July 22, 1948, Sister Donna ministered in education for more than four decades. She taught or served as assistant principal in schools in Indiana, Il­linois,
Texas and North Carolina. From 1994 to 2001 Sister Donna served as the adminis­trator
of Providence Hall on the motherhouse grounds. She retired in 2002 and volunteered in various areas at the Woods.
Sister Wendy Workman Dec. 11, 1950-June 6, 2009
“Sister Wendy loved sports and the out-of-doors, and that love brought a freshness and an openness to her life as a novice and to all of us associated with her at the Woods.”
Sister Wendy entered the Congregation Aug. 23, 1975. She ministered as a physical education and religion teacher in schools in Oklahoma City and Chicago. She also taught physical education at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
In the spring of 1987, Sister Wendy was severely injured in a bicycling accident that im­paired
her for the rest of her life. With faith, courage and determination, she faced each day with all of its challenges and limitations.
To read the entire obituary for a sister, please visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and look for “As seen in HOPE” link.
Upcoming events
September
15 Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner Event, Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Ind., 5:30-9 p.m. (EDT). The Congregation will have a booth and table at the dinner.
18 7th annual Hole-y-One Golf Scramble, Hulman Links Golf Course, Terre Haute, Ind. Contact Diane Weidenbenner for team registration or sponsorships at 812-535-2802 or dweidenb@spsmw.org.
Continued on page 2222 HOPE // FALL 2009
20 St. John School reunion, Indianapolis. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
26 Come and See Day, Chicago, for women ages 18-42, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (CDT). Contact Sister Jenny Howard at 812-535-2897 or jhoward@spsmw.org.
26 Ladywood School reunion, Indianapolis. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
October
3 St. Rose Academy reunion, Vincennes, Ind. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for information.
3 Marywood School, Evanston, Ill., reunion. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for information.
10 Immaculata Preparatory School reunion, Washington, D.C. Visit www.SistersofProvi­dence.
org for more information.
16-17 Catholic Festival of Faith, Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. Vocations will have two booths at this event.
23-25 Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Fest 2009, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. The theme of the fest, hosted by the Congregation in cooperation with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Col­lege,
is “Live with purpose — energize your faith!” The fest is a weekend for junior high to retirement pilgrims of all faith traditions. Contact Sister Barbara Doherty at 812-535-2925 or bdoherty@spsmw.org.
24 Fall Nature Walk, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (EDT), White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Free-will donation. Contact Candace Minster at 812-535-2935 or cminster@spsmw.org.
31 ACE 101: Developing Alpaca Breeding Strategies through Herd Assessment and Performance Records, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EDT). Taught by Brett Kaysen, Ph.D., of Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo., and David Barboza, AOBA & IAJS Certified judge. Cost $175/$140 for second person from the same farm. Contact Tracy Wilson at 812-535-2934 or twilson@spsmw.org.
31 Providence High School reunion, Chicago. Visit www.SistersofProvidence.org for more information.
November
6-8 Call to Action Conference, Milwaukee. Visit our booths
7 Providence Associates Commitment Ceremony, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, 1:30 p.m. (EST) Eucharistic Liturgy.
13-15 Alpaca Fiber Workshop (for those with some experience), Friday 7 p.m. to Sunday 11 a.m. (EST), White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Spinning alpaca (Suri and Huacaya); Felting with Sherry Konya (Father Christmas figures and fun needle felting activities, limit 12). Cost: $150. Contact Sister Jean Fuqua at 812-535-2932 or jfuqua@spsmw.org.
19-21 National Catholic Youth Conference, Kansas City, Mo. The Congregation will have two booths at this event.
21-22 School of the Americas/WHINSEC Watch, Fort Benning, Ga. Visit our table.
Continued from page 21www.SistersofProvidence.org 23
Historical marker honors foundress
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin was honored April 29 with an historical marker from the Indiana Historical Bureau. The public dedication of the sign was attended by several visitors and area media. The sign is located near Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto on Grotto Lane on the motherhouse grounds. Above, General Superior Sister Denise Wilkinson stands in front of the historical marker and answers questions from the media. To read the entire marker and see more photos, visit www.SistersofProvidence.org and click on “As seen in HOPE” link. (Photo by Christina Blust)Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Indianapolis
Indiana
Permit No. 593
Office of Congregational Advancement
1 Sisters of Providence
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
“How do you picture God? Pray to God? Understand God? Most of us move from childhood to adulthood thinking about God in ways appropriate to our age, yet there is always a sense that we don’t quite know how to do it. God is totally unique and we are limited in our ability to grasp the idea of God.“
— quote by Sister Jeanne Knoerle
This issue of HOPE takes you on a journey to a new understanding of the mystery that is God. The new cosmology does “not abandon the past but … examine[s] its riches in new light.”
— quote by Sister Alexa Suelzer